History is Made at Night (1937)

 Frank Borzage's "History is Made at Night"

Frank Borzage is traditionally known for his romance films. His films often deal with a couple in love who must overcome both their own prejudices as well as external forces trying to separate them. Why does Borzage put his on-screen couples through so much hardship? In "Seventh Heaven," he threw economic tribulations at his couple, as well as separation and near-death by the war. With "Bad Girl," it was just economic troubles, stemming from the economic depression of 1929-1933. In his adaption of Ernest Hemingway's "A Farewell to Arms," it was only the war that caused the separation of the on-screen couple. By 1937, Borzage had been notable for these melodramas and received wide critical and commercial acclaim for them. When he made "History is Made at Night," he kept the same framework from his other films, while also infusing comedy, drama, suspense, and disaster to boot. 

"History is Made at Night" follows Irene, a wealthy aristocrat, who is filing for divorce from her husband after he accuses her of having an affair. When he sends in a man to pretend to be her lover so he can catch her in the act, a Frenchman named Paul comes into her hotel room to assist. He pretends to be a jewel thief, knocking out her aggressor and locking her husband and his assistant in the closet. Irene and Paul spend the night out on the town, eventually making their way to Le Chateau Bleu, where Paul is the head waiter. The two have an intimate evening in which they fall in love. Meanwhile, Irene's husband kills the fake lover and tells the police that it was Paul. This is an attempt to separate the two lovers, as he takes Irene back to America. Paul goes to America to find her and eventually does. When they take a boat back to France, her husband (who owns the boat), instructs the captain to try and break the speed record, despite the heavy fog. This is an attempt to murder the two lovers. The ship crashes into an iceberg and slowly begins to sink. Paul tries to put Irene on a lifeboat. However, she decides to stay and die with Paul. In the end, rescue comes to save them.

In all of Borzage's films, the love shared between the two leads always overcomes whatever obstacle and difficulty presented to them. The same can be said here. Manipulating husbands, murder charges, and even a sinking ship cannot overcome the love that Paul and Irene share for each other. With his films, and especially "History is Made at Night," Frank Borzage is saying that the pain and difficulty of life aren't the point of life - love is the point.